7 Tips for Using Bleach Around the House

Look in the laundry room of most households, and you will more than likely find a bottle of bleach. Many people swear by its whitening power when it comes to dingy laundry. But, did you know that it has multiple handy uses? Here are some tips for using bleach around the house.

1. Brighten Laundry

Bleach works by converting soil on your laundry into colorless, soluble particles. The particles are flushed away during a wash cycle. When using bleach for laundry, it is important to test for colorfastness on an inconspicuous area of the fabric. Never use bleach on silk, wool or spandex. Make sure to follow your machine’s manufacturer’s directions for dispensing bleach. Click here for more tips on using bleach for your laundry.

2. Clean Away Mold and Mildew*

Pre-clean the surfaces of any visible material.

Make a solution of 3/4 cup Clorox Bleach (regular) per gallon of hot water.

Apply the solution to the affected area with a sponge or brush.

Allow it to sit in contact with the mildew for at least 5 minutes, then rinse with warm water.

Allow to air dry.

Repeat if necessary.

3. Sterilize Kids Toys After Illness

It’s Murphy’s Law that when one person gets sick, it usually travels through to everyone in the whole house. Help stop the germs in their tracks by sanitizing any water-proof toys. Soak the toys for about 5-10 minutes in a solution of 3/4 cup of bleach, a squirt of dishwashing liquid, and a gallon of warm/hot water. Rinse well and allow items to air dry. This also works for sterilizing second-hand toys. It is a good idea to sanitize your kiddos toys at least twice a year, whether or not there has been an illness.

4. Clean and Sterilize Cutting Boards

Avoid cross-contamination in the kitchen and prevent spreading bacteria by washing and sterilizing cutting boards. If your entire counter is a butcher block, or if you are cleaning wood cutting boards, lightly scrub the surface with a brush dipped in a solution of 1 teaspoon of bleach diluted in 2 quarts of hot water. Be careful not to saturate the wood. Wipe down with a damp clean cloth; then buff dry with another clean towel. This solution is also effective on plastic HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) cutting boards.

5. Help Flowers Stay Fresh Longer

Make your cut flowers stay fresh longer by adding 1/4 teaspoon bleach per quart of water to the vase. This solution also keeps the water from getting cloudy and inhibits the growth of bacteria.

6. Make Glass Dishware Sparkle

Are your glasses and dishes filmy or cloudy? Restore them to a crystal clear condition simply by adding a teaspoon of Clorox bleach to your soapy dishwater. Rinse well and towel dry.

For clear water:
Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops; about 0.625 milliliters) of unscented liquid household chlorine (5–6%) bleach for each gallon of clear water (or 2 drops of bleach for each liter or each quart of clear water).

For cloudy water:
Add 1/4 teaspoon (or 16 drops; about 1.50 milliliters) of bleach for each gallon of cloudy water (or 4 drops of bleach for each liter or each quart of cloudy water).

Stir the mixtures well.

Let it stand for 30 minutes or longer before you use it.

Store the disinfected water in clean, disinfected containers with tight covers.

Are you surprised by these tips for using bleach around the house? As you can see it is one of the most diverse cleaning products you can buy. Why not stop into your Cape Ace this month and check out our Red Hot Buys? Pick up a jug or two of Clorox Bleach. Great deals on great products…another reason why Cape Ace is The Place!